MA graduate films shine on the big screen at Dukes at Komedia
In mid-January, our Class of 2022 MA graduates from Screen and Film School Brighton headed to the famous Dukes at Komedia cinema in central Brighton for a showcase of their graduate films.
This occasion provides the perfect opportunity for our expert filmmakers to come together to enjoy the results of their creative work, a culmination of their studies with us. This year was no different, and we were delighted to see so many smiling faces in attendance, friends and family members of the filmmakers were welcome too. They were invited to ‘sit back, relax, grab some snacks and refreshments, and enjoy watching your work, as it was intended – on the big screen!’
Once the bespoke Dukes at Komedia cinema was full, the audience was treated to five graduate films. The eclectic mixture of narrative storytelling that was on show was the perfect testimony to the craft of the teams behind the cameras. It was also exciting to see our seaside city used as the backdrop for so many interesting scenes, from the coast to the Lanes to the South Downs.
The three films and the teams behind them were as follows:
What Happens Next: Director, Writer and Producer, Harvey Shead-Jones. Executive Producer, Andrea Slater. Director of Photography, Luke Onofrio. Gaffer, Joe Duncombe. Sound, Sarah Harpin. Editor, Harvey Shead-Jones. This tense film – which featured a character who has an existentialist exchange with what appears to be his very own charismatic Fairy Godfather – shifted from a domestic scene to a dramatic moment on the shaley beach near Seven Sisters.
Sour Milk: Director and Writer Joe Duncombe. Producer, Shannon Shepard. First AD, Tonks Blom. Second AD, Shannon Shepard. Second AD/Production Coordinator, Joel Eley. Casting Director, Constanci Agrela. D.O.P, Lewis Titterrell. First AC/Steadicam Operator, Elliott Moore. Second AC/Gaffer, Zac Haydn Jones. Sour Milk explored several themes including the many different characters who encounter one another at a local emergency shelter, but with the addition of twist that you wouldn’t see coming at the end.
Crackman and Robyn: Director, Karl Allen. Producer, Shannon Methuen. Written by Karl Allen and Shannon Methuen. Executive Producer, Kevin Allen. Director of Photography, Michael Kinsella-Perks. This intense, deep-thinking film follows the journey of a young protagonist who is attempting to transition away from addiction with the help of an older character who takes him under their wing.
Wrapped up in the middle of these longer films were two exceptional shorts, both of which were filmed in the same beautiful regency building in Hove, and both had a strong emphasis on production design. You’re a Cokehead, Charlie Brown, written and directed by Joshua Coomey, follows a hero throwing a party after being left home alone. When their stern mother arrives back early, the race to clear up ensues. However, one little bit of evidence threatens to scupper their master plan.
The second short film, Eat Your Eggs, depicts two friends sitting down to a formal dinner, but the conversation quickly turns sinister and reveals a shocking surprise to the viewer. Written and Directed by Joe Duncombe, it is with great delight that we can announce that Eat Your Eggs will be featured at Horror-On-Sea Film Festival in January.
On that high note, here’s what our MA in Screen & Film Production course leader Andrea Slater had to say about the successful event:
“It was brilliant to see the MA films today. They all stood up to the test of the big screen, where we could enjoy some beautiful cinematography and innovative storytelling. We’re all very proud of the students and wish them luck as they take the films to the festival circuit.”
In addition to Andrea’s words, Crackman and Robyn Director and Screen and Film School Brighton graduate Karl Allen offered these thoughts about the screening:
“The screening of the MA degree films was a chance for our peers, lecturers, friends and family to see the results of our studies, and to appreciate all the hard work. It marked the transition from student life to the next phase of our careers. Overall, the screening show at Komedia was a testament to our determination, dedication, and passion for what we love to do. Personally, the day was joyous and sad; I was happy to be completing the MA in such a wonderful and professional setting and a little sad that our time together as a working group had ended.”
The graduates are ready to enter the world of film, and the films themselves are more than ready to be seen by further audiences for years to come. Good luck to all the Class of 2022 in their future filmmaking journeys.
